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bar¹

(bär)

1. A relatively long, straight, rigid piece of solid material used as a fastener, support, barrier, or structural or mechanical member.

a. A solid oblong block of a substance or combination of ingredients, such as soap or candy.

b. A usually rectangular slice of any of various flat baked confections that are typically dense in texture.

c. A rectangular block of a precious metal.

3. Sports

a. See horizontal bar.

b. A horizontal rod that marks the height to be cleared in high jumping or pole vaulting.

4. A standard, expectation, or degree of requirement: a leader whose example set a high bar for others.

5. Something that impedes or prevents action or progress: A poor education was a bar to his ambitions.

6. A ridge, as of sand or gravel, on a shore or streambed, that is formed by the action of tides or currents.

7. A narrow marking, as a stripe or band.

a. A narrow metal or embroidered strip worn on a military uniform indicating rank or service.

b. Chiefly British A small insignia worn on a military decoration indicating that it has been awarded an additional time.

9. Heraldry A pair of horizontal parallel lines drawn across a shield.

10. Law

a. The nullification, defeat, or prevention of a claim or action.

b. The process by which nullification, defeat, or prevention is achieved.

11. The railing in a courtroom separating the participants in a legal proceeding from the spectators.

12. A court or courtroom.

13. Law

a. Attorneys considered as a group. Used with the.

b. The profession of law. Used with the.

14. Music

a. A vertical line drawn through a staff to mark off a measure.

b. A measure.

15. Variant of barre.

16.

a. A counter at which drinks, especially alcoholic drinks, and sometimes food, are served.

b. An establishment or room having such a counter.

tr.v. barred, bar·ring, bars

1. To fasten securely with a long, straight, rigid piece of material: barred the gate.

2. To shut in or confine: barred themselves in the basement.

3. To obstruct or impede; block: barred the access route.

4. To keep out; exclude: Tourists are barred from this room.

a. To prohibit or prevent (someone) from doing something: Failing the eye exam barred him from driving.

b. To prohibit (an action): The state bars the dumping of waste in the river.

c. Law To nullify, defeat, or prevent (a claim or action).

6. To rule out; except: Can we bar the possibility of foul play?

7. To mark with stripes or bands.

prep.

Chiefly British Except for; excluding: This was your best performance, bar none.

Idiom:

behind bars

In prison.

[Middle English barre, from Old French; see BARRE.]

bar²

(bär)

A unit of pressure equal to one million (10⁶) dynes per square centimeter.

[Greek baros, weight; see g^werə-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

bar-

pref.

Variant of baro-.

Bar.

abbr.
Bible

Baruch

bar.

abbr.

a. barometer

b. barometric

2. barrel

BAR

abbr.

Browning automatic rifle

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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